Body-wall-contact-type water tank and in-cavity fluid perfusion system

Abstract

A body-wall-contact-type water tank ( 12 ) is equipped with: a water-tank body for storing a fluid to be supplied into a body cavity, and positioned so as to contact a body wall ( 120 ); a through-hole which conveys the fluid stored in the water-tank body into the body cavity via an incision formed in the body wall ( 120 ), and which is formed in the bottom section of the water-tank body; and a connecting means for connecting, in a fluid-tight manner, the water-tank body to the body wall ( 120 ) and/or to a retractor ( 110 ) attached to the incision.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A body-wall-contact-type water tank comprising:
 a water tank main part that includes a bottom-most surface, the bottom-most surface of the water tank main part being configured to be in contact with an outer surface of a patient's body wall for retaining a liquid that is fed into a body cavity of the patient; 
 a through hole formed in the bottom-most surface of the water tank main part, the through hole being configured to direct the liquid retained in the water tank main part into the patient's body cavity via an incision that is made on the patient's body wall, and 
 a flange section outwardly extended from an outer circumferential edge of the bottom-most surface of the water tank main part, an entirety of the flange section being disposed outside the water tank main part, 
 wherein the flange section is formed of a flexible material that is capable of following the outer surface of the patient's body wall, and the flange section is configured to be brought into close contact with the outer surface of the patient's body wall to provide a liquid-tight connection between the water tank main part and the patient's body wall to prevent the leakage of liquid between the patient's body wall and the water tank main part. 
 
     
     
       2. The body-wall-contact-type water tank according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the water tank is configured to be used with a retractor that has a pair of flange sections on upper and lower ends of the retractor, the pair of flange sections being configured to be fitted to the incision, and 
 a circumferential edge of the bottom-most surface of the water tank main part is configured to be slidingly inserted in between the flange sections on the upper end of the retractor and the outer surface of the patient's body wall, thereby configuring the water tank main part to be connected to the incision. 
 
     
     
       3. The body-wall-contact-type water tank according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the water tank is configured to be used with a retractor that has a pair of flange sections on upper and lower ends of the retractor, the pair of flange sections being configured to be fitted to the incision, and 
 an inner circumferential surface of the bottom-most surface of the water tank main part has a groove that is configured to receive a rim of the flange section on the upper end of the retractor, thereby configuring the water tank main part to be connected to the incision. 
 
     
     
       4. The body-wall-contact-type water tank according to  claim 1 , further comprising a surgical drape that outwardly extends from the entire circumference of the flange section of the water tank main part, and that is provided with a medical adhesive on one side of the surgical drape,
 wherein the surgical drape is configured to be brought into close contact with the outer surface of the patient's body wall, to thereby connect the water tank main part to the patient's body wall. 
 
     
     
       5. The body-wall-contact-type water tank according to  claim 1 , wherein either a fluid feed nozzle for discharging the fluid into the water tank main part or a fixture mechanism to which the fluid feed nozzle is detachably attached is fixedly mounted on the water tank main part. 
     
     
       6. The body-wall-contact-type water tank according to  claim 5 , wherein the fluid feed nozzle or the fixture mechanism fixedly mounted on the water tank main part is arranged at a position and attitude that causes the fluid discharged from the fluid feed nozzle to flow in an obliquely downward direction along an inner surface of the water tank main part. 
     
     
       7. The body-wall-contact-type water tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the water tank main part is composed of a material that is transmissive to ultrasonic waves. 
     
     
       8. An in-cavity fluid perfusion system comprising:
 a body-wall-contact-type water tank according to  claim 1 ; 
 a feed means that feeds the fluid into the body-wall-contact-type water tank; 
 a suction means that sucks, inside the body cavity, the fed fluid and discharges the fluid cut of the patient's body cavity, and 
 a control means that controls actuation of the feed means and the suction means to perfuse the fluid. 
 
     
     
       9. The body-wall-contact-type water tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the water tank is self-standing while storing the liquid or can be supported by another member while storing the liquid.